Author's Note:

Hmm, you know, I may have planned out too many things for the story. It might take a while before I catch up to the events of Reborn! I'm also wondering if I should include more stories that has interactions with the Reborn! Cast or just stories concerning Amato and his friends...

Chapter 7: Drug Haven

As we made our way towards our target location on foot, the wind was freezing. My arms was so cold I had to stuff them into my pockets. Kiera had the same embroidered robes on, the hood covering her head, removing any chance for me to see her face. The thought of what happened in the kitchen is still bothering me, but I had to get it out of my head. The other members had all their weapons out and was walking quite a few steps from us, some in front, some at the sides and some behind us even. Except for Sera, I can't rightly see her weapon, if she had one in the first place. That was when the question came to me.

"Why the Hospital?" I gave out as our footsteps quickened. Well, it is one of the further targets, if not the furthest. Would a locale so far be useful to the Famiglia?

Kiera spoke out behind her hood. "The Hospital of Venice, known to the Mafia world as 'Drug Haven'. Because of the port advantages of the city, drugs of all kinds travel through the hospital, to be distributed among other hospitals in Italy. When we lost the control a few years ago, it became a smuggler's paradise. Other families look down on us for granting these roaches such a lucrative and accessible locale for smuggling. This first target will not only help us regain control, but also regain some Honor for the Zanna Famiglia." Kiera went on, never looking at me.

"And, they're denying us the use of the facilities, that's why our members looks so messed up for so long now.." Kiera muttered with a tone of concern, before her steps stop.

"We're here."

It was dark at first, but as light entered my vision, I came to see Ospedale Civile di Venezia in all its glory. With its white, Gothic architecture balanced with a touch of modern glass, metal and stone. It has been a while since I last came here. The sterile and unimaginably clean feeling of Hospitals always freaked me out, not to mention those needles and shots.

"Uh.. the Hospital..." I gave out with a shudder, which prompted a small chuckle from both Sera and Kiera.

Though it felt quiet and deserted of people, closer inspection brings to sight a number of guards surrounding the place. It looked almost like a small army. Can't believe I missed them.

I looked around and see my members ready their weapons and prepare for combat, and I feel nervousness sweep over my body. I look down and see that my hands are shivering. "Strange, I wasn't afraid when I was fighting yesterday night, so why am I afraid now?" I muttered out.

"Don't worry, I'll be by your side." A motherly and kind voice cut into my thoughts while a soft hand grabbed mine. It was Sera, her calm look steeling my nervousness, her gentle touch putting a stop to the shivering.

"Right." Kiera suddenly voiced out, cutting into the moment, almost like it was on purpose. "Our strategy shall be a two pronged attack, I will lead our main force to draw their attention, while a small number will enter through the back. There should be three back entrances you can take advantage of." Kiera commanded while she flourishes the giant-hunk of metal she calls a shield. Wing and clouds sculpted and emblazoned on the front, though I question what benefits they have besides aesthetic reasons. "You and Fina will be that small number." She say out in a strange tone, as if she's irritated.

"Wait, what? Sera? Just the two of us?" I blurted out, surprised. The kind and slow Serafina is to enter a Mafia-guarded building? I can't believe this.

"Yes, you are to enter and rescue Doctor Ines Rosalia, the head of the Hospital. We have little with us today, so you will go with one of our best." Kiera inform us while carefully studying the movements of the opposing Mafia behind cover. The name caught my attention.

"Ines? She's in trouble?" the words came with my looks of disbelief. Ines Rosalia. Head of the Hospital of Venice, and a personal doctor of my family. She's a nice lady who cares a lot for her patients and is renowned for her precision in surgery. "I haven't seen her in years but didn't she appeared in the news last week?" Yes, she seemed fine.

"It was all done to mask their smuggling activities. Erasing suspicions from the public while she is held at gun-point to ensure they get what they want, when they want it." Kiera gave out without a hint of emotion. "They say it had been none-violent over the past few years, but recent reports indicate this is changing. Doctor Rosalia's life may be in danger." Kiera says so, but her tone tells me it already has.

"Which Famiglia is it?" I ask with a serious tone after hearing what Kiera said.

"The Calcassa Famiglia."

"Right." I declared after breathing out and calming myself. "Let's go."

That was the last words before we went our separate ways, Kiera and most of the members sprints towards the entrance, while Sera and I make our way towards the back of the building, trying to remain unseen. I ran, heart beating at my every step, with Fenris gripped tightly in my hands. As we ran under the booming sound of gunshots and explosions, quick glances towards Sera reminds me of what Kiera said before.

"We have little with us today, so you will go with one of our best."

Best? Really? I still can't believe it. I cannot picture Sera, with her calm, kind demeanor, and her gentle smile, as one of our best. No matter, I'll do what I can.

Soon, we find ourselves nearing the back entrance. The doors small, as if made to be inconspicuous. Guarding it was three men in black suits. In their hands was firearms, pistols, machine-guns. Of course, the course of action was simple, strike them, before they can shoot us. Looking towards Sera, her nod told me she understood. Fenris in hand, I invoked the name.

"Fenris!"

The same sensation washed through my body like waves washing ashore, the words appearing across my pendant:

FANG

"What the-" was the only words that one guard could give out before I went up to him, energy and force still pulsing and the aura still present, and snapped his wrist backwards. As the machine-gun fell from his hand, with power enveloping my body, I swept my leg in an arc, knocking him off his feet, before stomping down on his stomach. He was probably too surprised to react, as with my enhanced vision, I could see him stunned by my sudden appearance and attacks, before fainting due to the force.

Immediately, the one standing beside him pointed his pistol at me, but, I could see his actions seconds ago. My hand holding on to Fenris, I brought the grip down on his elbow before jabbing his ribs with my elbow. As he fell to the floor, coughing and struggling to breathe, I gave the back of his neck a strong chop, knocking him out of consciousness.

As my attention was brought to the third guard, something else caught it instead. In fact it was rather shocking. I watched, as Sera drew from her pockets, a piece of metal. It black with chrome finish. As she dashed towards the guy, who was holding a pistol against her, the metal extended until it was about two meters long. Sera's eyes, no longer as wide and innocent, furrowed with seriousness. It was almost like a complete change of personality. Her blond hair swished as she threw her staff at the guy's elbow, and with her hands holding on to the other end, she twist the staff and in turn twisted the guy's arm, forcing him to drop his gun. Immediately, she strike at the guy's throat with her staff. Foam appeared at his mouth before his pupils disappeared into pure white, and he fell to the ground like a dead body.

"Whoa." Is this... Sera? Really? Note to self: don't get her angry. "Uh.. Sera?" I find myself asking.

"Yeah?" She replied to me with her usual smile, returning to her usual look.

"Never mind, let's go." Not really the best time for me to think about these things, we have a mission to complete.

Soon, we made our way into the main office of the head. The grunts on the way had no chance, we plowed through them like a bulldozer through a field of snow. The insides of the building has been greatly modified by modern technology, and looks really high-tech. Even when it is closed, it still gave off the clean, sterile feel to the place. We could hear the sounds of blasts tone down as we progressed through the building. Kiera and the rest must have been successful, I can't actually imagine Kiera falling here.

As we reached the door, I knocked it down with a kick. As soon as that happened though, I stop hearing anything. That was when I saw who I assumed to be the head of this force here. Long, dark-blue hair with similar colored eyes. He's wearing a brown waistcoat, white, long-sleeved shirt and black pants. His black fedora hat reminds me of the image of a cowboy from the wild west. He holds Ines with his left hand while holding on to a long staff on his right? Wait, that barrel, a sniper rifle? It is a sniper rifle!

"Let her go!" I yelled out. As soon as those words end, Sera charges towards him. In a second, she let loose a series of swings and strikes that seems fast even for my enhanced vision. At first, it seemed like he was hit by all of them, dropping Ines on the floor with a thud, but, as I focused, I saw that he's actually dodging them. Dodging each strike by a centimeter only. Crazy reflexes! As I went in to help, he picked up his rifle, and twirls it around his body. Like a predator, he keeps his eyes of Sera's movement, and suddenly thrusts his rifle forward like a staff.

"Uh!" Sera gave out as the rifle struck her chest and she flew backwards from the force. That stopped me dead on my tracks, as I tried to catch her and cushion her fall. This resulted in both us falling on the floor as well.

"Sera, you alright?" I asked out, keeping my eyes of the guy should he decides to do anything else. This guy is no joke.

"Ngh, yeah." She gave out while looking stunned.

That was when the guy charged at me.

It so sudden, so I threw a roundhouse kick at him on reflex. Soon, a slight pain appeared on my right heel as my blow was blocked by his sniper rifle. As my leg recoiled because of the pain, I charged at him myself, recklessly, hugging his body and ramming against the wall, to his surprise. Why was he surprised?

Recovering from that charge, I throw a punch at him with my right fist. Again, it was blocked by his rifle. Ouch. I can't believe it would hurt this much, in my Awakening. He stands, dusting off dust from his waistcoat and manipulating the rifle like a staff. This is not looking good. Grabbing my neck with his left hand alone, he tries to strangle me to death.

His strength was insane. My vision was rapidly flashing and fading. I struggled for air as my left hand desperate tried to pull his hand away. That was when I caught sight of Ines and Sera, and I gripped Fenris harder. "No!" I managed to squeeze it out. "I will protect them!" I yelled out as I tore his hands away with mine, pulling his body towards me and giving him a knee jab to the stomach. He stumbled back coughing.

All the while, no words, no voice came from his mouth. Regaining his stance, he looked at me with serious eyes, staring at my pendant and Fenris.

"I see, you have taken up your title." The first words came, his tone as serious as his eyes.

"Huh, H-how do you know that?" I voiced out in surprise.

Again with no indication, he charged. Quickly, I throw a fist with minimum strength, expecting him to block it. As soon as he did, I used my right heel and jabbed at the side of his knee. His actions break out of balance from the sudden strike. My success was short-lived as the long barrel of his rifle came smashing at a speed so fast it caught me by surprise, smashing into the left side of my face. I think the only chance my jaw stood from breaking was because of my Awakening. As my jaw creaked, I can hear faint footsteps closing in on the office. That was when he did the most unexpected thing.

Swinging his rifle in an arc in front of him, he made a dash towards the tall window and crashed through, jumping out the building.

As I jumped back from that arc, I heard the sound of glass breaking. I could only see his dark-blue hair and pieces of glass from the window, before he disappeared below. Turning my attention back to Ines on the floor of the office, her hands and legs were tied up tightly behind her back, in a rather suggestive position.

"Amato?" Ines muttered in a rather sleepy voice. She seems.. tired?

"Uh.. uh.." no words could form while seeing her like that as well as shouldering Sera's painful stare.

Moments later, Kiera and the rest of my Famiglia made their way into the office. I explained what happened and looked out the window. I couldn't see any body. That means whoever that was, he's still alive. "Thank you for saving me, Zanna Decimo. I don't think I could take one more day with that guy in here." Ines explained as she adjusted her attire and her glasses. She still looked the same as I saw her years ago. Long, straight, black hair with hazel eyes. She has a comforting smile that let's her work with patients much more easily than other doctors, or so she say.

"Well, at least you're safe. I assume this means we've regained control?" I asked Kiera as we helped out tidying the office.

"I look forward to working with the Zanna Famiglia." She declared as she swept away the glass pieces from the window.

"Sorry about the window.." I apologized, staring at the wide hole that used to be the window.

"Don't worry, we'll have it patched up soon. It wasn't as much as your fault as it was from the Calcassa Famiglia." Ines gave her reply whimsically.

"Sir, this operation has been a success, we ought to be on our way." Kiera told me as she looked out the window. As my eyes follow, I could see the sun rising. "Goodbye, Doctor Rosalia, take care." Kiera said so with a bow.

"Oh, and about your shots, Amato..." Doctor Rosalia gave out as she picked up a folder from the floor, the name written on it was 'Amato Zanna'. "I think you missed a few of them, you won't mind if you take them now, right?"

She turned to see the door to her office wide open with me and my members gone. Of course, I wasn't gonna stay for that!

Oh darn, I messed up with the last chapter! There is such a thing called a 'rice cooker pizza'! Oh well. I don't know if this is a good portrayal of Mafia-activity, but it is how the story goes. Please praise, comment or criticize as well as tell me whether you want to read more of Mafia-related stories or more Slice-of-life stories right here in your reviews!